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Two Defendants Appear In Federal Court In Beckley On Drug Charges

Pill Dealer Gets 12 Years in Federal Prison

Beckley, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that two defendants appeared before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger on drug charges in federal court in Beckley. Michael Harshaw, 38, of Hinton, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to using a telephone on October 3, 2012 to set up a transaction in which he distributed five oxycodone pills to a person cooperating with authorities. He also admitted that on October 10, 2012, he possessed a quantity of pills containing alprazolam, also known as xanax. Both offenses occurred in Hinton. Harshaw received an additional 2 years in prison for violating the conditions of supervised release imposed in connection with a previous federal drug conviction. His case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John File.

Tiffany Rose Arbogast, 24, of Lewisburg, pled guilty to distributing heroin in Lewisburg to a person cooperating with authorities on December 15, 2012. Arborgast also admitted that she had distributed between five and ten grams of heroin over a period of time. She faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 when she is sentenced on October 23, 2014. This case was investigated by the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force in connection with the Greenbrier County Heroin and Pill Initiative. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney John File.

These cases are part of an ongoing effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and the distribution of heroin in southern West Virginia.